Vegetable cooker



July l1, 1950 H. E. s'cHALl. ETAL VEGETABLE COOKER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 15, 1946 H. E. scHALL ETAL VEGETABLE cooKER July ll, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. l5. 1946 HarOZdvLSCkaZZ OO R .LOJ'LCICIZ/ auw.,

Patented July 11, 1950 VEGETABLE COOKER.

Harold E. Schall. Monte Vista, Colo., and Loo R. London, Burley, Idaho Application yJanuary 15, 1946, Serial No. 641,334

This invention relates to an improved steam cooker especially intended for cooking vegetables, such as potatoes, turnips, carrots and the like.

The objects of the invention are to provide a cooker suitable for use in conjunction with dehydration plants or canning factories and adapted for handling vegetables in large volume, wherein the cooker may be used for so-called pre-cooking purposes, namely, to cook the vegetables only long enough to loosen the skins, when the skins may be washed ofi", after which the vegetables may, if so desired, be fully cooked in the cooker, wherein the cooker may be operated automatically to thus effect a saving in labor, and wherein a novel valve mechanism will be provided for con- 3 Claims. (Cl. ,S9-324) trolling the progress of the vegetables through` the cooker.

Other and incidental objects of the invention will appear during the course of the following description, and in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of our improved cooker.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the device.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. s

Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line 4--4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view particularly showing the major parts mounting the hopper valves. Y

In carrying the invention into effect, we employ a preferably cylindrical casing I0 which may be mounted upon a suitable stand or other supporting structure, as at II, and is open at its ends.

Fitting at its larger end within the upper end of the casing is a more or less cone-shaped upper receiving hopper I2, and fitting at its larger end within the casing below the hopper I 2 is a similar lower cooking hopper I3. These hoppers may be secured to the casing in any appropriate manner and, as particularly shown in Figure 2, are provided at their smaller ends with aligned annular outlets I4 located eccentrically of the casing. Room within the casing is thus gained for the hopper valves employed, presently to be described.

As will be perceived, the hoppers I2 and I3 divide the casing Illinto a middlechamber I5, and suitably fixed within the lower end portion of the casing is a partition I6 which receives the outlet of the hopper I3 therethrough and defines a steam chamber I1 within the casing between the partition and the latter hopper. It is to be observed that the chamber I'l entirely surrounds' the lower hopper so that steam in said chamber may uniformly heat the hopper. Formed in the wall of the hopper I3 just above the outlet thereof is a circular series of spaced steam passages I8 adapted to admit steam from the chamber I'I into the hopper I3, whence the steam will rise through any vegetables in said hopper into the middle chamber I5. Suitably fixed within the lower end portion of said hopper is an annular shield I9 which overlies the openings I8 in spaced relation thereto and is adapted to prevent clogging of said openings by vegetables in the hopper.

Leading through the wall of the casing II! into the steam chamber Il is a feed steam inlet pipe 20 connected with any suitable source of feed steam for supplying feed steam to said chamber, and interposed in said pipe is an electrically operated shut-01T valve 2 I. Leading from said chamber at the bottom thereof is a steam outlet pipe 22 in which is interposed a like electrically operated shut-off valve 23, and connected with said pipe is a suitable trap 24 adapted to drain off water of condensation in the steam chamber. Entering through the wall of the casing I0 above the hopper I3 is a pipe 25 connected with any suitable source of water supply, and formed on or other- Wise connected to the inner end of said pipe is a circular spray nozzle 26. Interposed in the pipe 25 is an electrically operated shut-off valve 2l.

Formed on the lower ends of the outlets I4 of the hoppers I2 and I3, as particularly seen in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, are tilted rectangular flanges 28, and detachably bolted to said anges are inclined valve seat plates 29 having thickened side anges 30 tapered in height from front to rear so that the lower edges of said side flanges are horizontal. Formed in the seat plates to register with the outlets I4 are openings 3|, and fitting the anges 30 are angle-shaped tracks 32. Slidably fitting through the bottom fianges of said tracks are bolts 33 screwed into the flanges 3D at their lower edges, and surrounding said bolts are springs 34 pressing the tracks upwardly toward the seat plates.

Slidably supported by the tracks 32 are more or less wedge-shaped upper and lower valves, indicated for convenience of description at 35 and 36 respectively. These valves are snugly received between the side flanges 30 of the inclined seat plates 29 and are provided with fiat lower faces to coact with the tracks and inclined upper faces adapted to seat fiat against the seat plates when the valves are closed. In such position of the valves, the springs 34 will act on the tracks 32 to resiliently hold the valves seated in closed position and will prevent sticking thereof.

Bolted or otherwise fixed to the casing II] are upper and lower cylinders 3l and 3B respectively. and slidable in said cylinders are pistons 39 and 43 respectively, the piston rods 4I of which eX- tend into the casing and are screwed into the valves 35 and 36 respectively. Connected with the ends of the cylinder 31 at its lower side is a pipe 42 in which is interposed a suitable fluid pump 43, and appropriately mounted upon the casing is a suitable reversible electric motor 44 connected with the pump by a belt 45 for driving motor 44. Thus, assuming that the valve 35 is closed and the switch 45 is electrically operated to closed position, the motor 44 will be operated in one direction for driving the pump in a corresponding direction to transfer the fluid from the outer end of kthe cylinder to the inner end thereof in front of the `piston 33 and shift the piston outwardly in the cylinder. Outward movement of the piston 39 will then continue until the piston nears lthe outer end of its stroke, when the iluid pressure in the outer end of the cylinder will open the Switch i8 and thereby stop the motor Vlill. Thus, the valve 35 `will be shifted Voutwardly to open position.

An operation similar to that just described will take place when the valve 35 is open and the switch 41 is electrically operated to closed position. In such instance, the motor All and pump i3 will be operated in a direction opposite to that rst described, so lthat fluid will be transferred from the inner end of the cylinder 31 to the outer end thereof behind the piston 39 for shifting the piston inwardly. Inward movement of the piston will then continue until the fluid pressure in the inner end of the cylinder opens the switch 111 and thereby stops the motorl lill. The valve 35 will thus be'shifted inwardly toV closed position. It has been deemed unnecessary to show the construction of the switches 45 and 41 as the parts are conventional.Y For a like reason, the circuit connections between the switches 1 6 and 1 and the motor 44 are 'not shown. Y

Equipment identical with that just described in connection with the cylinder 31 for opening and closing the valve 35 is also provided in conjunction with the cylinder 38 for opening and closing the valve 36. The operation is likewise identical and it is therefore unnecessary to go into detail. The pipe connecting the ends of the cylinder 38 is indicated at 48, the pump at '43 motor at 5,5, belt at 5l, and switches at 52 and '53 respectively.

The valves 2|, 23, and 21, like the switches 616, 41, 52 and 53, are conventional and therefore have not been shown in detail. However, all of these parts will preferably vbe electrically connected by suitable wiring with an appropriate master switch, not shown, which switch may be of conventional character and operated by a motor 0r other means to effect a continuous and automatic repetition of the cycle of operation of the cooker, which cycle will now 'be described.

Assuming the cooker to be empty yand both the valves 35 and 35 closed, the vegetables to be cooked are introduced into the hopper l2. valve 35 is then opened to permit the vegetables to fall into the hopper I3, after which the valve 35 is closed. The valve '2| is then opened to admit steam to the chamber l1, whereupon the steam will enter through the passages i8 and rise through the vegetables in the hopper i3 into the middle chamber l5. After the vegetables have been cooked a desired length of time, the valve 2l is closed, when the valve y23 is opened to exhaust the steam from the steam chamber l1 as well as from the middle chamber l5, vafter The cold water, when the valve 21 is opened to admit water through the nozzle 26 for washing out the cooker. The valve 21 is then closed, when the valve 33 is closed to complete the cycle.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A vegetable cooker including a casing open at its ends, a tapered receiving hopper fitting at its larger end in the upper end ofthe casing closing the same, a tapered cooking hopper tting at its larger end within the casing below the receiving hopper and dividing the casing into a middle chamber between the hoppers, valves `carried by the smaller ends of the. hoppers and adapted to close the same sealing said middle cham-ber, Vand means for admitting steam to said chamber.

2. A vegetable cooker including a casing, spaced upper and lower hoppers mounted therein and defining a middle chamber between said hoppers, valves carried by the hoppers and adapted to close the same sealing said middle chamber, a partition fixed within the casing and defining a steam chamber surrounding the lower hopper, the lower hopper being provided with spaced steam passages therein for admitting steam from said steam chamber through said lower hopper into the middle chamber, a shield iixed within the lower hopper and overlying said passages in spacedrelation thereto to prevent clogging of said passages by vegetables in said lower hopper, and means for admitting steam to said steam chamber.

3. A vegetable cooker including a casing, a tapered receiving hopper fitting at its larger end in the upper end of the casing closing the same, a tapered cooking hopper fitting at its larger end within the casing below the receiving hopper and dividing the casing into a middle chamber between the hoppers, valves carried by the smaller ends ofthe hoppers and adapted to close the same sealing said middle chamber, a partition fixed within the casing and receiving the lower end of the cooking hopper therethrough, said partition defining a steam chamber surrounding the kupper end portion of the cooking hopper, means for admitting steam to said steam chamber, the wall of the cooking hopper being provided close above said partition with circumferentially spaced passages for admitting steam from said steam chamber into the cooking hopper to rise through a charge of vegetables therein into said middle chamber, and an annular shield iixed in the cooking hopper to overhang said passages in spaced relation thereto and prevent obstruction of the passages by said vegetables.

HAROLD E. SCHALL. LOO R. LONDON.

REFERENCES errno The following references are of record in the le of this patent: i

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Namer y Date 218,497 Daniels Aug. 12, 1879 349,288 Vernon Sept. 14, 1886 599,512 Mayer Feb. 22, 1898 1,551,128 Williams Aug. 25, 1925 1,975,560 Sollich 'Oct. 2, 1934 2,123,663 Roach Julyl 12, 1938 2,250,858 Ducat July '29, 1941 2,407,482 Doyle Sept. 10, 1946 

